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| Jerry widowed 1998 |
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| Jessica widowed 2002 |
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| Married at Grace, May 2, 2004 |
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| Left Grace May 2, 2012 |
JERRY RENSHAW
Member of Grace for 36 years.
Co-Prayer Team Coordinator.
Choir member, steward, deacon, usher,
served communion, Life Group co-host,
hosted pastors and students involved
in our Japanese ministry.
JESSICA SHAVER RENSHAW
Member of Grace for 39 years.
Women's Bible teacher, book of Hebrews
and other subjects. Wrote correspondence
Bible study, Who Is This Man? for church
prison ministry. Co-Prayer Team Coordinator.
Taught 2-3 year olds for Mothers of Pre-Schoolers
(MOPS). Worked in nursery. Choir member,
member of stewardship team, deacon,
served communion, Life Group co-host,
hosted pastors and students involved
in our Japanese ministry.
POSTED BY REQUEST:
ReplyDeleteJerry and Jessica: As one who has been a participant in the spiritual battle going on at Grace, I want to personally and publicly applaud your enormous and sacrificial efforts on behalf of and support of the teaching of the full and true Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ at Grace and throughout the world. I can relate, personally, to the lies and attacks you have incurred at the hands of those who allege to being called as shepherds of the flock and Preachers of the word of God. They are liars and deceivers and they are responsible for deceiving the flock and will answer to the Lord for what they have done to mislead the flock and for their teaching of a false gospel and attacks on the true and full Gospel.
We know it is a spiritual battle and it is going on all around us. some of it we can see and some of it is going on around us in a dimension that we cannot see. Real suffering occurs as a result. The deceivers who work at the beck and call of Satan and his demons do great damage to the people of the True Word. The emotional as well as physical suffering from entering into the fray to protect God's people from the lies and false teaching are real. A Pastor friend told me that it has taken him a year to recover from the hurt of the attacks from so-called elders/leaders/shepherds. This is a man who is extremely well versed in the Word. He knows the battle is the Lord's. He knows all the things he needs to know to turn the whole thing over to the Lord. You and I know those things. Praise the Lord for friends who are mature in the word and remind us of these things and pray constantly for us, as we do for the two of you. Still, the scars run deep.
We know that the Lord has won this battle at Grace. We just have not seen the shape of the victory. But the deceivers continue to deceive the flock. they will answer to the Lord for the deception of God's people. the lies from so-called leaders, even from the pulpit.
But I want to thank you for your personal sacrifices (huge sacrifices-the scorn and attack by so-called Christians who should be praying for you was withering) for taking a leadership role in exposing the sins of leaders and the false teaching. I want to express my prayers now for your recovery-the healing to go on. That you be blessed by all of the prayers for you and hearing the word taught, truthfully and loudly and clearly so you heal. that the Holy Spirit do His work within you to heal you and make you whole so that you can continue to shine the light brightly whenever and wherever you serve and the opportunity presents itself.
It is no easy to stand-up to false teaching,. Especially when the ends justifies the means to those you stand up to. Especially when you want to act out of love and healing and they want to present themselves that way all the time they are twisting the knife in you and scheming with others how to discredit you.
We must pray for those who are being deceived that their eyes will be opened and they will not reject the Lord because of these deceivers but they will seek the Truth somewhere else. We must also pray that these deceivers become true believers, repent of their sins, and turn to the true Savior and teach the full Gospel.
But we pray for you, our longtime friends and Brother and Sister. Thank you. Now heal. My love to you both. Your Brother, John Anderson
Thank you, John. Words can't express our appreciation to you for enduring your own public humiliation with dignity and faith, setting an example for us. And for those who have been willing to read what we have posted in spite of the leadership's commands not to do so, in order to prayerfully make up their own minds about which side truth is on.
DeleteWe look forward to the day when Grace Brethren Church of Long Beach will no longer be "the doughnut church--the church with a hole in the middle where the gospel ought to be" and when members will no longer be dazzled by weekly episodes of the "I Love Lou Show."
John so eloquently (oh...he's an attorney, am I being redundant?)wrote so many of the things I have been thinking but felt inadequate to express. THANK YOU JOHN. The first day I saw your own Wall of Remembrance post, I was speechless, although not surprised. I've only been an outside observer but have keenly felt the heartbreak over the downhill slide of 36/Linden. I am so sorry for all those who have left and also for those who remain, if that makes any sense. Knowing that God is in control and being convinced that none of this has taken Him by surprise is one solace. Another is knowing that so many of those affected by this entire journey continue to keep GBC in their prayers and that God will be glorified no matter what. I add my thanks to you for your sacrifices and your steadfastness in the face of great persecution. May God continue to bless you Jessica and Jerry.
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